Saliva extractor

ABSTRACT

A saliva extractor device which is characterized by two tubes that have unique configurations and which partially telescope together.

Sites Patet [191 SALllVA EXTRACTOR 4/1963 Orsing1.........

[76] Inventor: Elling Harald Nor-din, Villa Svedia 8/1963 Baughan 3,456,348 7/1969 VanLanigan............................

en Tortiguet 12, Villeneuve, Vaud, Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 30, 1973 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Attorney, Agent, or FirmFred Philipitt Appl. No.: 392,905

ABSTRACT [52] U.S. (11.32/33 Int. N61c 11/00 128/275, 276

[58] Field of Search 32/33; A saliva extractor device which is characterized by two tubes that have unique configurations and which [56] partially telescope together.

References (Iited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Claim, 11 Drawing Figure 2,696,047 VanLanigan............................ 32/33 SALIVA EXTRACTOR The saliva extractor is intended for evacuating saliva from the oral cavity and, when dental treatment previously was performed with the patient sitting in the dentists chair, the saliva extraction was made from the bottom of the oral cavity.

The conditions have now changed and the patient, as a rule, is now in a lying position so that the saliva will collect in the throat and consequently must be evacuated from this place. As the saliva extractors available in the market are adpated for treating patients in a sitting position, they are not suited for modern treatment. Further, most of the saliva extractors priorly known have no fixing means for maintaining the position thereof.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a saliva extractor which is arranged in such a way that it satisfies the requirement to effectively evacuate saliva from the throat. Another purpose is to provide an effective fixing means for holding the saliva extractor in a predetermined position.

These purposes are realized by endowing the saliva extractor of the invention with the features stated in the accompanying claims.

The invention will be described more in detail in the following with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. The FIGURE is a side view of the saliva extractor.

The saliva extractor may consist of a continuous prebent tube, or as in the case shown two interconnected tubes 1, 2, and has an end 3 positioned outside the oral cavity ofthe patient for connection to a suction line.

The suction section of the saliva extractor extends from a fixing part 4 positioned below the patients chin, in the present case formed by the tube 2, and into the oral cavity. The portion 5 positioned in the oral cavity has the shape of a U or a portion bent back upon itself with a first leg 6 extending down to the throat, and a second leg 7 bent back towards the front teeth portion and positioned over and spaced from the first leg 6. The second leg 7 terminates with a bow 8 at the front teeth portion. On the bow 8 preferably a cotton roll may be threaded for dry-conserving purposes, when, e.g., a crown or a bridge is to be cemented into place. The suction holes 9 are preferably, as shown, provided in the upper part of the first leg 6, but suction holes may also be provided in the second leg 7 if desired. The end of the suction tube positioned adjacent the bow 8 is sealed. The extraction tube may be of metal, plastic or paper.

An especially favourable fixing is obtained by using a saliva extractor consisting of two tubes 1, 2 which may be pushed into each other telescopically. The chin is one suitable place for a fixing, and the bottom of the mouth another one. Due to the fact that the second tube 2 is formed with a fixing part 4 which is to be placed below the chin of the patient, and the tubes are telescopically movable, it is possible to obtain the tension required for maintaining the saliva extractor in place in the mouth by varying the telescopic mutual displacements of the two tubes. Such an arrangement eliminates the necessity of using flexible tubes, possibly reinforced with laid-in or moulded-in wires.

If the tubes at the joining point are formed as a portion of a circle. this will provide a lateral stiffening to the tube parts. A certain freedom of movement is still maintained so that the upper tube member 1 can be moved to the right or to the left, as determined by which portion of the oral cavity one wishes to place the saliva extractor in.

Advantageously, that portion of the saliva extractor, which is positioned in the oral cavity, is formed by the thinner tube 1 while the portion positioned outside the oral cavity consists of a thicker tube. Hereby an easier flow is obtained as a sole thin tube is more easily blocked by amalgam and cement remains, which falls into the oral cavity during the treatment, or by blood clots.

What is claimed is:

1. A two-part saliva extractor device which is characterized by:

a. a first tube that is primarily intended to be positioned on the outside of the mouth of a dental patient,

b. a second tube that is primarily intended to be positioned on the inside of the mouth of a dental patient,

c. said first tube having a first end that is adapted to be connected to a suction line,

d. said first tube having a curvature somewhat similar to the letter S, one portion of which is adapted to fit against the front outside portion and the exterior underside of a dental patients chin,

e. said second tube having a curvature which resembles the combination of an L section and a J section joined together at the upper ends of their long leg" portions so as to form a V therebetween,

f. the short leg portion of the L section of said second tube fitting telescopically within the outer end of said first tube so that the combined shape of said L section and said first tube is a generally U-shaped clamp that fits around the chin and lower mouth portion of a dental patient,

g. said second tube having suction holes therein,

h. said J section of said second tube being shaped to hold a piece of cotton,

i. the portions of said first and second tubes that telescope together being in the form of moderate arcs, and

j. said section holes being in the long leg portion of the L section of said second tube. 

1. A two-part saliva extractor device which is characterized by: a. a first tube that is primarily intended to be positioned on the outside of the mouth of a dental patient, b. a second tube that is primarily intended to be positioned on the inside of the mouth of a dental patient, c. said first tube having a first end that is adapted to be connected to a suction line, d. said first tube having a curvature somewhat similar to the letter S, one portion of which is adapted to fit against the front outside portion and the exterior underside of a dental patient''s chin, e. said second tube having a curvature which resembles the combination of an L section and a J section joined together at the upper ends of their ''''long leg'''' portions so as to form a V therebetween, f. the short leg portion of the L section of said second tube fitting telescopically within the outer end of said first tube so that the combined shape of said L section and said first tube is a generally U-shaped clamp that fits around the chin and lower mouth portion of a dental patient, g. said second tube having suction holes therein, h. said J section of said second tube being shaped to hold a piece of cotton, i. the portions of said first and second tubes that telescope together being in the form of moderate arcs, and j. said section holes being in the long leg portion of the L section of said second tube. 